Falling Skies
by Madi.And.Vale
Summary: Valentine Carmin has to fight to survive this new world. Only seventeen years old and now a soldier, in a war to protect her world from aliens. Her family died long ago and all she has left is the resistance and the Mason Family, who took her in after the world ended. (Full Summary inside)
1. Chapter 1

Full Summary: Valentine Carmin has to fight to survive this new world. Only seventeen years old and now a soldier, in a war to protect her world from aliens. Her family died long ago and all she has left is the resistance and the Mason Family, who took her in after the world ended.

Sage Matthews' life before the invasion had involved a father always going in and out of a jail and a druggie mother who often abused him. Now years after the invasion Sage is abused still by his uncle, while also trying to survive the aliens. What happens when he comes across the Mason Family?

This is their story as the sky falls.

* * *

Valentine's family died during the first month of the invasion. Valentine only got away by the fact that the aliens were distracted by her family. For the next few months, Valentine got herself familiarized with a gun. That was when the Masons found her. She was scared, starving, dehydrated, and holding a gun so tight in her hand that her knuckles were white.

Tom Mason took Valentine in as his own, raised her to be both a soldier and his daughter. Now it's been a few years and Valentine fights along side Tom and his oldest son Hal.

Valentine holds her rifle close to her as she runs down the alleyway. Hal is front of her, while Tom is behind her. Valentine is seventeen now and is well shaped due to the years of killing aliens and running around for supplies.

Valentine has grown up faster than most due to the years of hardship in her life. Her hair is pulled back in a ponytail, her body covered in black clothes to keep her hidden, her brown eyes taking in everything around her. She has a black long sleeved shirt on with her favorite black leather jacket over it, a pair of black skinny jeans, and black combat boots on.

"Hold on," Tom whispers as they come to the end of the alleyway. He places a hand over Valentine's, while Hal scans the area ahead. "Go," Tom says as he pushes Valentine and Hal. The two run with Tom behind them and heading into the main part of the run down city. A man is working on a car when they run towards him. "Go! Take the gas!" Tom yells as the man stands up. "Bryan, mechs! Stay down!" Tom yells to another of the men as they run as fast as they can to the man who is coming out of an alley, but sadly it's too late. Just before they can reach him he is gunned down.

"Shit," Valentine says, backing up into Tom.

Tom leads them to the side of the building and looks at Valentine. "Get the food." Valentine's the smallest of the three, only 5'3" and very skinny and lean, making her the fastest.

"Got it." She waits a moment before running. She grabs the bag the guy dropped before running back to Hal and Tom who is pushing the cart of food. "Help?" Hal stuffs it into her backpack before going back to pushing the cart. She has an army backpack that she found on a dead soldier before she met the Masons. She has kept it all this time, finding it to be useful when getting supplies. Her bag is already pretty full with supplies that are enough for the kids at camp.

The three weave around cars, running as quick as they can, as they hear the mechs behind them. They pass some of their fallen soldiers before coming around some more cars. Valentine keeps up with the guys before seeing the meck's gunpoint on Hal. "Shit, Tom." Tom sees what she is talking about and pushes Hal out of the way just in time, while Valentine drops to the ground. The food is blasted by the gun instead, causing her to groan. She scurries quickly over to it, keeping low from the meck.

"Vale!" Tom shouts, but she waves him off. She grabs her backpack and stuffs it to the brim. "Forget about the food." He grabs her arm and pulls her up just as she closes her bag.

"Fine, I just wanted my bag to be full at the least." She says as he pulls her down the road. She breaks from his grip and runs beside him. "Don't need to man handle me, Tom. I'm following don't worry." She says as the three run down the road.

Valentine drops to the ground as a blast goes off. "We need to hurry." She says as she looks back at the burning car. She looks forward at the gate and sighs. "We only had a little bit before we reached the gate." She looks back at the food with a frown.

"Don't even think about it, Vale. It's not worth it." Tom says.

"Food is always worth it."

"Here they come! Cover them!" One of the soldiers from on top of the gate yells.

"Vale, don't do it," Tom says as she gets up. "Vale, I'm warning you." She looks at the food and then at Tom.

"We have people that need it."

"It's not worth your life. We have enough in your bag for now."

"No, we don't."

"Vale."

"Short bursts!" Another soldier yells. "Short bursts!"

"Vale!" Hal yells, grabbing her hand.

"Let go of me, Hal-

"Forget the food. I lost a brother, I'm not loosing a sister!" He yells as he grabs her hand and runs for the gate with her.

They make it into the gate with Tom behind them just in time for it to be blown up. Valentine screams as she is thrown to the ground. "Get up!" Tom yells to Hal and Valentine before pulling them both up. The three begin to limp run as they hear a growl behind them. "Hal, Vale, in here," Tom says as he drags them into a ruined shop.

Vale stumbles into the room with Hal, both a bit out of it from the blast. "Skitters," Tom tells them as he pushes them down below a desk gently.

Valentine covers her ears as she hears the screeching noise before watching a soldier get gunned down. Valentine closes her eyes as she hears Hal. "That's Jerrod's cousin," Hal says, moving to get up, but Tom stops him.

"No. No, don't." Tom says as Hal struggles to get up to save him. "No, no, no, no. No. No." He says. Tom holds Hal back as they watch the soldier screaming in pain. "Shh, shh, shh," Tom whispers as they watch a skitter walk towards the soldier. The skitter has multiple legs that are bent along like a grasshopper's and has a brown thick skin with a pincher mouth. The thing is beyond ugly and ten times scarier.

"That's Jerrod's cousin," Hal whispers.

"He's already dead, Hal. You'd never make it in time." Valentine says as they watch the soldier get surrounded and pulled on like a thing of play doe.

"Come on. Come on." Tom says to the two teens before pulling them back from the scene. "Get up!" He growls to Hal who is busy staring shocked at the scene before him. Valentine has seen many of her friends and family get murdered before her eyes despite it being awful to watch she can handle it better than Hal. She tries not to watch, but even if she does she still is able to snap out of it and run.

They hear the sound of the ships with the skitters before hurrying out the back way of the building. "Woah, Woah, Woah," Hal says as the soldiers point guns at them.

"Mechs-front." Tom pants. "The Colton Street barricade's down. Skitters, too." He tells them.

"They're up to the common. Both barricades there are gone." Weaver, a soldier in their group, says as he walks towards them. "We're falling back. Back bay is lost."

"They take back bay, they take the city."

"No kidding. porter's calling us in." He looks back at the soldiers. "Let's go." The soldiers and they take off running as silently as they can. Valentine freezes in her steps as she sees one of their ships fly over and blow the city up.

"Oh my god." She breaths out. The wind begins to blow their way, howling from the pressure of the blast, and the electricity crackles.

"South Boston! South Boston! South Boston!" They turn to see a girl running towards them.

"Quiet!" Tom hisses, shaking his head at the scared dark skinned girl.

"They got South Boston! Skitters and mecks." She says.

"Rear guard, come on!" Weaver orders, causing them all to run from the city once more.

They don't stop moving until they reach camp, which is in the middle of the forest. The slow to walking as they move through the camp, the soldiers watching them and the entrance.

"We holding?" Jimmy, the youngest of the soldiers, asks. "Who'd we lose?"

"Captain Jameson, Jerrod's cousin, and a bunch of guys I didn't know," Hal tells him, finally out of his funk, and walking up the steps.

"Jameson's dead? Who's gonna command the 2nd?" Jimmy asks.

No one answers Jimmy as they walk into the building where everyone is. They walk through crowds of families, all huddled around fires for warmth, and all of them dirty and hungry. Valentine keeps her eyes forward, ignoring the scene of people being carried onto medical beds. Being a soldier in this new world is the hardest thing.

Valentine pauses beside Tom as she sees the main area. The doctor and her assistant are busy serving what little food they have, while the kids are sitting sleeping. "It's always harder for them." She whispers, her eyes landing on Tom's youngest son, Matt. She squeezes Tom's hand before starting over towards the doctor.

"I managed to grab a bag of supplies. It isn't much." The doctor looks up at her sighs.

"It's better than nothing. Thank you, Vale. Have some food, you deserve it."

"No, give it to the kids. They need it more."

"Vale, I already fed them. You had a long day, eat. You need to keep your energy up." She hands a bowl of food to Valentine, causing her to sigh.

"Thank you, Dr. Glass." Valentine sits down, eating the measly soup as Tom walks over to Dr. Glass with his son over his shoulder. She watches as they talk, her handing him a pile of paper before Hal joins her.

"Dr. Glass says he's handling things better." Valentine doesn't need to know who he is talking about, it's always Matt. Matt has had it rough especially after loosing his mother.

"That's good." Valentine hands the bowl to Hal, but he shakes his head.

"Eat it yourself. I'll have some later."

"Hal-

"Vale, you're skin and bones. Eat. We need you at your full strength." She sighs and begins eating the soup as Hal leans back in his seat.

"Tom, Tom." The two glance over as a soldier hurries in. "Porter wants to see you." Valentine watches as he hands Matt over to Hal and walking out of the room.

"What do you think it's about?" Valentine asks Hal.

"Probably need to discuss regrouping and a new strategy." He tells her as she finishes her soup. "How about we head out, I'll lay Matt down in his bed, and we get to work on some things." She nods as she hands the bowl back to Dr. Glass and heads out with Hal.

The two work outside, Hal carrying boxes of ammo, while Valentine cleans her gun while listening to the guys. "Okay, so, these guys," Anthony begins, a soldier also apart of their group. "From the 5th mass, okay, down in Dorchester-uh, out of ammo except for, what, these two bullets in a clip in an old .45 automatic?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Click says. "Right?"

"What then?" Dai asks.

"Yeah, come on, what happened?" Jimmy asks. The four of them were getting the car ready with the big gun.

"Okay, so, the guy, you know, he stands there like bait, right? Skitter moved in."

"Right," Click says.

"Other guy from behind the dumpster-

"Boom!" Click and Anthony says together.

"Headshot, point-blank range," Anthony says. "You're dead."

"Dead." Click laughs. "That's one way to do it. I'd do it like that."

"Man, you would wet yourself." Anthony jokes with his brother.

"Fine, long as I get that head shot in." Valentine shakes her head in disgust.

"Alright, man." They chuckle.

"What are you looking at?" Valentine looks up to see Hal staring off into the sky.

"Hal?" She questions.

"That thing hasn't moved since yesterday," Anthony says as he and Valentine stand on either side of Hal, staring up at the alien beacon.

"I was just wondering how to get at it," Hal says. "You know, find my way inside, head upstairs, find the lizard in charge, and just kick some alien ass." Dai stands on the other side of Valentine and Click on the other side of Anthony, while Jimmy stands in the back of the five of them.

"You're crazy," Valentine says. "There's no way to get at it."

"Personally, I like the idea of seven or eight truckloads of C-4 driven in simultaneously from different directions. Maybe a couple of coming in on boats across the harbor. Yeah. Boom. Yeah." Dai says, causing Valentine to roll her eyes.

"Men." She mumbles.

"How do the drivers get out of there?" Jimmy asks.

"No, no, no, no," Tom says as he starts over to them. "You got it all wrong. Outside of that thing's gonna be like a fortress." He says as he walks towards them, the group turning to look at him. "You need to get inside-a trojan horse. Or, like the World War 1 sappers, tunnel underneath it, plant the biggest pile of TNT you've ever seen right under the center of it. Or like the Romans at Pontus when they were-

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. There you go, Professor." Anthony says.

"Professor Kick-ass!" Click yells.

"Yeah, well, tomorrow, we kick ass... or maybe the day after tomorrow." They fall silent as they all take in what Tom said. "Alright, for now, let's get that .50 squared away, get some sleep. We move out in the morning." Everyone leaves Tom except Hal and Valentine.

"Think that'd work-heading underground?"

"Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, it has throughout history." Valentine smiles as she looks at father and son. "Alexander leading the Macedonians." Hal smiles at his father, causing Tom to look at him. "What?"

"I don't know. you think, dad, maybe you could, uh, ease up on the history lessons- with the guys around, at least." Valentine snorts at Hal and looks at the beacon.

"Got it." He says as Hal chuckles.

"Alright." Hal steps back and heads over to the guys.

"Don't worry about tomorrow, Tom, everything will work out," Valentine tells him.

"Mmm."

"I'm going to finish cleaning my gun, maybe help the guys out or make it harder for them, and then I'm heading to bed." Tom smiles and nods as Valentine says that. "See you in the morning." She wraps her arms around him, hugging him with a smile on her face.

"See you later, Valentine."


	2. Chapter 2

Valentine straps her trusted rifle onto her back with her backpack over it. She settles herself on her bike. She waits on her bike as Hal works on his. "But tonight's the 8th. It's my party." She hears Matt says, causing her to glance over.

"Oh, sure thing, your highness," Hal says, causing Valentine to slap him in the back of the head.

"Be nice, Hal, he's still a kid."

"Hey, you both had a birthday party, too, and it was after they came." He says as Valentine frowns.

"Mine was just done because my family was gone otherwise they would have just forgotten about Valentines Day that year like any other year." Hal gives Valentine a sympathetic smile as he squeezes her thigh.

"We'll try to do a little something when we get settled," Tom says. "We're doing the best that we can." Tom gets up and walks away as Hal watches him before moving forward slightly to look at his brother.

"Hey." He calls out to Matt, causing the boy to look at him. "Give him a break alright."

"He's just a kid, Hal, he hasn't grown up yet and he doesn't understand fully." Hal frowns and looks at her as she says this.

"He has enough on his plate, Valentine."

"Not saying he doesn't, but go easy on Matt too, okay?" Hal sighs but nods nonetheless as he gets back to work on his bike.

An hour later they are on the move and Hal, Valentine, and Karen are riding up to the front. They arrive at a town looking for supplies, but everywhere is picked clean, causing Valentine to get off her bike, leaning it against a building and walk over to Dai. "This is pointless, there's nothing here." He glances over at her and nods.

"I know. We need supplies or none of us are going to make it."

"Alright, we'll make do." Dai and Valentine look over as Tom yells that.

"Alright," Weaver yells. "The rest of us will follow the commuter rail west! We'll meet at the Littleton bridge! Pick your squad! Good luck!" He yells before walking forward.

Hal nudges Valentine before heading to Tom with her. "You need a scout?" Hal asks.

"I want you to stay with the group. You stay with Matt."

"Weaver's more likely to get me killed than you are." He says.

"Tom, come on, we're a team," Valentine says. "Let us come with."

"You need two scouts," Karen calls. Tom looks at the three before shaking his head.

"Yes, I do." He finally agrees. "And I need my fast sharp shooter." Tom pats Valentine's back, causing her to smile. "Why don't you find Dai and Click and Anthony see if they'll volunteer," Tom says to Karen. "You both go with her." Valentine nods with Hal as the two head after her.

"I already know where Dai is so I'll go get him. You get Click and Anthony with Karen." Hal nods and they go their separate ways.

"Hey, Dai." Valentine says as she walks up. "Tom's sending a group out to head back in order to get food. He was wondering if you wanted to join us." Dai glances over at her before nodding.

"Yeah, I'll be more than happy to help."

"Great, follow me, and get your things together." Dai nods as he grabs his gun and follows after Valentine.

They see Tom working with Anthony when they head his way. "Thomas," Dai calls.

"Dai, are you in?" Tom asks.

"Yep."

"Weaver's keeping all the heavy stuff." Dai pulls out a stick of C4, causing Valentine's eyes to widen.

"Is that right?" Dai asks as he throws it to Tom.

"C4? Where-Where did you get this?" Tom asks as he looks at the stick. Dai smiles as Tom puts it in his coat pocket.

Valentine gets her things together and helping the others gather their things before everyone heads off ahead. The group gathers around one of the vehicles with a map as Tom explains to everyone what the plan is. "We think there's food here and here." Tom points out two locations on the map as Valentine scans the map.

"There's a store in West Newton and a food distribution warehouse in Watertown. They're both ShopSmarts. If there's food in them, they're probably traps. The main invader force is either gonna come up River Road or Blanchard Road. We need to know which one. I don't want a bunch of Skitters and Mechs coming up behind us." He tells them as he then looks at Hal and Karen. "So, Hal and Karen, you guys got to check that out. You got to let us know which way they're coming..."

"Mm-hmm." Karen nods.

"So we know where to go." He then turns to Anthony, Click, Dai, and Valentine. "And we'll be waiting at the train station."

"Shouldn't I go with them? Make the group dispersed more evenly?" Valentine asks.

"I can keep an eye on her, dad." Valentine shoots Hal a look, but Tom nods anyways.

"Fine, but keep an eye on her. Don't need her running off again." Valentine rolls her eyes and slumps against the truck.

"Come on," Karen bumps Valentine, trying to cheer her up as they head for the bikes. They climb on and wait for Hal, who quickly hugs his father before getting on the bikes.

"C-

"Not a word, Vale." Hal says, causing her to snicker and start the bike.

"Whatever you say, big brother." He smiles and they start down the road. They sperate, Karen going one way and Vale and Hal going the other way. They stopped their bikes and went by the river to hide behind the banks and look at the road. Hal gets his binoculars out and starts looking through them. "Anything?" Vale whispers. Hal freezes as he looks down at the road.

"Vale?"

"I hear it."

"Then drop." They drop to the ground as they hear the mech coming. They peek over and see two walking along the road as ships fly over them. Behind the two mechs are a crowd of children with harnesses.

"Wow, that's a lot of kids." Valentine whispers quietly under her breath as Hal grips her arm. "Ow, what the hell."

"That's Ben." Valentine follows his eyes and sees a tall kid walking with the group, he has a blank expression on his face and was covered in dirt and old rags for clothes. As Ben walks by they see a harness on him. "Ben..."

"We have to get back to the others." Valentine whispers as she pulls Hal away from the kids and towards the area they left their bikes.

They meet back up with Karen and tell her what's going on before rushing towards the group on their bikes. "Which way are they coming?" Tom asks as he approaches the three kids.

"Ben's alive. Vale and I saw him. We saw him." Hal says as he gets off his bike and starts for his dad.

"What?" Tom asks.

"He's alive."

"He's harnessed, but he's alive." Valentine tells him as Tom grabs Hal.

"Are you sure it was him?"

"Dad, he's alive." Hal says with excitement across his face. "Come on, we got to go get him. Alright, we'll screw this food thing. We got to go get him right now." Valentine hesitates as Hal says this.

"Whoa. Wait, wait, wait, wait." Tom says as he stops Hal from going back to his bike.

"Dad, it's Ben and we got to go get him." The guys begin to come forward declaring that they're in, but Valentine shakes her head. "Vale?"

"We need the food, Hal." Valentine says. "For the others."

"How many skitters? How many mechs?" Tom asks.

"I don't know. There's like half a dozen in front of Ben and the other harnessed kids."

"And more coming up after them. You said hundreds and airships." Karen jumps in.

"Who cares!" Hal yells. "Alright, it's Ben."

"I'm there, let's go." Karen says.

"We can't just abandon our mission, Hal. I am so for getting your brother, but we need the food for the others first."

"No, it's too many. That's way too many." Tom tells Hal. "I agree with Vale. We got-we got to stick to the mission. We got to get the food, we got to take it back to the group, and then I'll get Ben."

"No. I'm going to go get him right now with or without you." Hal says before starting for his bike.

"Hal, don't be an idiot. You saw all those aliens. There's too many for just us to handle without a plan." Valentine tells him.

"No. Hal!" Tom hurries after Hal and pulls him off his bike. "Hey, no."

"Get off. Let go of me!" Tom grabs him and throws him to the ground and wrestles him before being able to pin him.

"You don't think I want to go get him right now? He's my son! And you're my son! And Matt is back there alone! Do you think I want him to hear he's lost his other brother and his father? We do this the right way or we all die!" Tom yells as Hal stops struggling. "We get the food, we bring it to the group, and then we'll get Ben, together, you and me." After a long moment, Hal nods.

"Alright. We'll do it your way." Tom lets go of Hal and he gets up off the ground.

"Which way are they coming?" Tom asks.

"Blanchard." Karen tells him as Tom stands up.

"That's the Watertown ShopSmart. I know it." One of the guys says as Tom points to an object on the ground.

"Click, grab that box." Tom sighs and kneels down on the ground, throwing the box on the ground. "That's the building. There's a road here. There's a road here." Tom says as he points out each area on the ground. "We're gonna do our recon from here. We'll wait till it gets dark. Then I go in first with Dai, Vale, and... Hal. If it's clear, then you guys come in, we get the food, we get the hell out of there."

"If it's not clear?" Valentine asks.

"If it's not clear, if it goes bad, then I want you guys to take off at the sound of the first shot. Don't wait for us. You go, and you go fast. You take the bikes, you take the truck, and you go to the upland park. If we don't show up in one hour then go to the Littleton Bridge.

"If it's a trap?" Valentine asks.

"Then we'll see."

"Dover was." Click speaks up.

"That was a skitter and two mechs."

"The grocery store in J.P. had three mechs and two skitters." Valentine rolls her eyes and follows after Tom. The group heading off to complete their mission.


	3. Chapter 3

Valentine arrives at the Shop Smart with Tom, Dai, and Hal and begins opening the door to get inside. They walk inside once the doors are open and shine their flashlights around trying to find any sign of danger. They walk down the aisles listening and walking very slowly, trying not to make any noise with their guns drawn just in case they are to get attacked.

Valentine walks down her aisle, but find nothing, so she continues in the next one where Tom is waiting. She makes the motion with her flashlight to tell him her area is clean and Dai and Hal copy the motion, causing Tom to do the motion towards the doors.

The others push the truck in very slowly before going towards the others. "Alright, Anthony, you and Vale guard this entrance, load the food as it comes in. You guys come with me. Karen, grab that cart."

"Okay." Karen nods as everyone gets in their positions.

"Come on. We can do this. We'll be alright." Tom assures as Valentine accepts Anthony's hand and is pulled into the back of the truck.

"Thanks, Anthony." Valentine smiles.

"No problem, Vale." They both keep their guns up and ready to fire at anything alien that tries to get in or out. They wait until the others come and as Anthony stands guard Valentine loads the truck up first with Karen's shopping cart and then Click's trolly.

"You know, Anthony, I'm weaker than you, shouldn't you be helping." Click laughs before he moves and starts loading in with Karen to help Valentine out.

"Right, sorry." Anthony drops his gun and starts helping them out, trying to unload the things, while also loading the truck. They need to get more supplies, so the quicker they can unload the cart and trolly the quick they can refill it.

"Okay, you two go back and grab some more." Anthony says once the cart and trolly are empty. They nod and head back down the aisles as Anthony and Valentine get back to scoping the area and keeping an eye on everything.

"I can't wait until we get out of here." Valentine whispers. "This place gives me the creeps. I feel like anything's going to jump out and kill us at any second." Anthony looks over at Valentine as she says this.

"Hey, Vale, how'd you survive all this before meeting the Masons?"

"I survived basically by living in the sewer drains and only coming back up to get food, but at night to make sure I wouldn't be seen as easily."

"How'd you come to meet the Masons then?"

"I wondered in at night to one of the shops they were trying to get supplies from. It was after Ben got taken and Tom's wife died. It was just before he started to work with the Resistance. Tom, Hal, and Ben were going to the same shop I was for supplies. I ended up messing up their plans to go in. I got attacked by a skitter, but only one. The shops weren't as guarded as now. Tom saved me and told me it was best if we all stuck together. So I went with them and they took care of me and soon after we joined the Resistance. They saved my life and are like a second family to me. I'd do anything for any of them." Valentine says, causing Anthony to smile.

"Yeah, the professor's pretty great and so is Hal and Matt." Valentine smiles just as they hear gunshots.

"Shit." Valentine says as she hops off the truck. "Guard the truck. I'm going to go help."

"Vale-

"I have to. I'll be right back." She says as she hears shouting, gun fire, and a mech. She hurries towards the noise, hoping she'd get there in time to repay Tom and his family and not have them die.

"Hey mech!" Valentine yells as she sees it standing before Tom with Tom on the ground. The mech turns upon hearing Valentine's yells.

"Vale no!" Tom yells, but Valentine ignores him as she yells again. The mech moves it's gun over her, but she dodges by jumping out of the way before she fires at it. Hal comes down the other way and begins firing. As it targets Hal, he manages to just dodge it as Valentine begins firing at it so more and gaining its attention. It starts down her way as Tom sneakingly pushes a cart towards it with some c4 in it.

Valentine climbs up the shelf to get away from both the mech and the upcoming explosion and manages to get on top of the shelf, but she steps back and jumps to the other shelf, just making it as the explosion goes off, sending her to the other shelf, which she manages not to fall by clinging to it.

She hears more gun fire before one last one sounds. Valentine manages to climb down and hurry over towards the gunfire that sounded earlier, slightly limping from her fall into the shelf where she scraped her leg.

She runs over just in time to see the skitter on the ground with everyone surrounding it. It says something before falling back onto the ground. "I wonder what it's thinking." Valentine says as she leans on Hal for support.

"Nothing now." Tom says as Hal wraps an arm around Valentine and helps her stands. "Let's go." With Hal's help, they walk towards the doors once more.

"You'll ride with me. Dai, take Vale's bike."

"You shouldn't have done what you did, Vale." Tom tells her.

"I gave you the time to set the c4 up didn't I."

"You could have been killed."

"Hey, the way I see it I saved your life making us even." Tom shakes his head, a small smile on his face.

"Just don't go doing it again. Rather it be me than you. How's your leg."

"Just a scrape, I'll be fine." She says as Hal hops onto the bike and she hops on behind him.

"Alright, let's head to the bridge." Tom says as they get on the bikes and inside the truck.

Come morning they are almost to the bridge, honking their horn as they see it in their sites, allowing the civilians to know that they have arrived with a bunch of the food that they need.

Valentine leans her head between Hal's shoulder blades with a sigh. Her leg was really starting to bother her. "We'll have Dr. Glass check over you." Hal tells her over the roar of the bike as they pull up to everyone running for them. Grabbing the supplies and greeting them. Hal helps her off the bike before helping readjust Karen's gear. "Karen's going to take her to see Dr. Glass." Hal tells them. "We're going to talk to Weaver." Hal tells Valentine before heading off with the guys. Karen wraps her arm around Valentine and leads her to the Doctor.

"She cut her leg up on the supply run. You think you can take a look at it?" Karen asks.

"Of course. Sit. Let me look at it." Valentine sits down on and Dr. Glass pulls Valentine's jeans up before looking at the wound. "It needs to be cleaned, but it's not deep enough for stitches. We'll wrap it up, try to stay off it for at least today and you should be fine." Valentine nods before grimancing as Dr. Glass pours some stuff on her leg to clean it and then she begins to wrap it. "I think out of everyone you have the most scars, Vale."

"Most were before I met the Masons." Valentine tells her as Dr. Glass finishes her leg and pulls the jean's leg back down.

"You had a tough life after the invasion, but you came out stronger, can't say that for many." Dr. Glass says as they stand up. "Time to give Matt his birthday cupcake." Valentine smiles before getting Karen's help to head over to where the group is standing, waiting for the cupcake.

Dr. Glass gets the cupcake, kneels down, and begins to unwrap it. "So, you got to make a wish and blow it out quick 'cause it burns out fast." She tells Matt as she holds the cupcake out.

Karen had given them space, so now Hal has Valentine resting on him. Matt nods as Lourdes puts the match in the cupcake. "You know the wish is. You sure that's okay?" Tom nods at Matt as Valentine smiles.

"Yeah." Tom tells Matt as Lourdes lights the match and Matt blows it out.

"Yay." Dr. Glass says. "Happy birthday." Valentine smiles as she leans against Hal. "It's all yours." Dr. Glass says as Matt takes a giant bite.

"I'll be right back." Hal whispers as he runs off. Valentine frowns, but stands on one leg, her hand on Tom's shoulder in order to keep off her bad foot.

"Matt, I'm sorry. I don't have anything." Tom says as Hal speaks up.

"Dad, what's the matter with you?" Hal says as he walks back over with something.

"What?"

"You forgot the thing-the thing we got for him." Valentine raises an eyebrow at Hal as she looks at the thing in his arms. Matt holds out his cupcake and Tom holds it for him as he takes the thing from Hal. "You're going senile." Hal chuckles as Matt starts unwrapping it. "It's from dad." Matt looks at his dad as Hal walks over to Valentine and pulls her into his arms, keeping her off her foot. "He's going to love what we got him." Hal whispers into her ear, causing her to smile as she wraps her arms around him.

"You know, you are actually kind of a big softy." Hal rolls his eyes as he looks down at Valentine.

"Shut up." She smiles and looks at Matt, who opens the gift with a huge smile.

"I know what this is." Matt says. "A ripstik." Tom smiles and hits Hal on the shoulder. Dai walks over with a helmet before putting it on Matt's head. Matt straps the helmet on.

"Ride, fool. We only got ten minutes." Hal says, causing Valentine to roll her eyes as she hits Hal in the chest.

"And you had to ruin the sweetness." She smiles as Matt hops on and begins riding it. Everyone gathers around to watch Matt, haven't seen a kid playing in so long that it causes everyone to be awed. Tom smiles as Hal smiles down at Valentine. The kids all gather around to watch Matt and high fives them as he goes by them before heading back to them to hop off and hand it to the kid who high fived him.

"Aw, he's such a sweet kid." Valentine smiles as she watches the kids all take turns on the thing. Matt hands the helmet off to the other kids and they all take turns one after another.

"It's time to go!" Tom yells.

"Alright! We're moving out." Weaver yells in return. "I want to make the Great Meadow by dark. We're gonna set up camp there. There's good cover there."

"Karen, you're forward! Hal, you flank! Vale, ride with Hal!" Tom yells causing them to nod.

"Come on." Valentine squeaks as Hal picks her up. "This is easier." Valentine rolls her eyes as he carries her to his bike before setting her on it and climbing on in front of her.

"Jerk." He chuckles and starts the engine as she holds on to him. Karen looks at the two of them for a moment before riding ahead.

"Let's move on then." Hal smiles as Valentine holds onto him with a smile.

"Let's move on."


	4. Chapter 4

The group is out scavenging the armory, while Valentine is spending one last night resting. "I really wish I could have joined them." Lourdes smiles as she tends to Valentine's wound.

"It's healed very quickly. You can probably be on it again tomorrow."

"Oh thank god." Valentine sighs as she looks down at the thin cut. "It's not even that bad." Lourdes laughs as she stands up.

"Get some rest, Vale." Valentine nods before closing her eyes and drifting off to sleep.

When morning comes Valentine wakes up late. She wakes up to Hal sitting down on her bed and handing her a bowl of oatmeal. "Mmm, thanks." Hal nods and hands it off to her.

"We're going to get Ben tonight, I want you to come." Valentine nods as she rubs her eyes.

"Right, got it. You know you can count me in." Valentine says as she begins to eat her oatmeal.

"You think you can help me grab some water?"

"Yup, let me finish this first." Hal nods as Valentine quickly eats her oatmeal before pulling on her boots and heading out to help Karen and Hal with the water.

The three are just heading away from the river with both hands full when Mike walks over to them. "Hey, Hal. Vale."

"Hey, Mike." Valentine smiles.

"Hey." Hal nods.

"Those harnessed kids you saw the other day-they were heading west?"

"Yeah, but they may have changed direction after we saw them." Hal tells him. "Hey, you, uh, never asked if I saw your son."

"I figured you'd tell me if you had."

"After I saw Ben, you know, I just- I didn't see anything else."

"And I was too busy trying to figure a safe way out of there, sorry, Mike." Valentine says.

"We'll be going out tonight. I'll be looking for him."

"Well, when you go, I'd like to go with you."

"Alright." Valentine nods before they start up the hill with their waters.

"Hey, do you need a hand?" Lourdes asks as she walks over.

"I got it, but thanks." Hal says.

"I'm good." Valentine smiles.

"Okay."

"You could take mine." Karen says, causing Valentine to roll her eyes.

"Uh, oh. Okay."

"She's kidding." Hal says.

"I am?" Karen asks.

"Karen can carry her own water, Lourdes, but thank you." Valentine says before heading up the hill again. She drops the water off before heading back to her room to rest up for tonight.

"Wake up." Valentine rolls her eyes as she looks up at Hal. "Change of plans. We're heading back to the armory."

"I thought we did that last night."

"Jimmy was worried about his dog and messed the plan up. We had to fall back." Hal explains. "So now we have to redo it and Ben will have to be the next night."

"Well, I'll come with you for both. Let me just get changed, I've been wearing these clothes for too long." Hal nods as he leaves the room. Valentine changes into another pair of black skin tight jeans, a black wife beater tank top, her boots, and her leather jacket before slipping her gloves on and weapon belt. Her weapon belt goes around her waist, while a strap goes down her right tight, wrapping around it with velcro and holding a pistol on it. On her left hip is a big hunting knife, while on her back is her assault rifle. She slips two small knives inside the hidden compartment of each boot before heading out the door. Her boots also, when you click a button inside the shoes, blades shoot out from the toes and heels.

She is a lethal weapon. She heads outside and loads her guns along side Hal and Karen as everyone else gathers their things. "Jimmy, come here a second." Valentine hears, causing her to glance over at the thirteen-year-old kid before returning to her weapons.

She finishes loading them and turns to see poor Jimmy having to sit the mission out. "Alright, you ready?" Tom calls, causing them all to nod and head out.

They reach the armory and go through the shadows to get inside. They head inside and down the stairs as quickly and quietly as they can. Valentine has just reached the bottom of the stairs when she hears Click gasps, she turns to see him falling down, his gun firing off as he falls. "Click!" Valentine hisses before rushing over.

"Vale, don't." She moves behind him, the table on the stairs blocking her from being hit as she drags Click's body over towards her.

"Hold on, Click. I'll try and get this out." She whispers as she pulls out the two arrows, holding down on the wound to stop the bleeding.

"Vale."

"Just hold on, Click, it'll be okay." Click stares up Valentine with a weak face.

"It hit a vidal organ, I can feel myself bleeding out." Tears run down Valentine's face as she shakes her head.

"No, no, Click, you'll be okay. I promise."

"When I first saw you at camp that day we met... I thought you were some kind of angel." Valentine fights back a sob as she can see him fading.

"Click, you have to hang in, it'll be okay. It'll be okay."

"Once I got to know you I knew you were an angel. You were always," Click coughs as Anthony hurries over. "You were always so beautiful and perfect." Valentine cries as she stares at Click.

"Not gonna die. Not gonna die, hear?" Anthony says to Click, but it's already too late. Anthony stares at Valentine, tears in his own eyes. He pulls Valentine into his arms and they hold onto each other for comfort. Click, Dai, Hal, Anthony, they are all her friends. She can't lose one. She can't.

"Oh! Oh, Johnny, man, I've been hit, buddy." Anthony hears a man say as Anthony and Valentine pull away. They look at Tom, who is asking if Click is okay, they both shake their heads as Valentine forces herself to get it together. There'll be time to cry later, for now, he needs to focus and be able to help. "I've been hit, bro." The man whines.

"What the hell happened?" Another man asks, presumably 'Johnny'.

"What do you think happened? I've been shot." The first guy yells.

"'Cause you shot first!" 'Johnny' yells.

"No, I didn't. I didn't."

"Shut up! We're supposed to do this on the quiet."

"I was quiet!" He yells.

"Shut up a second!" Johnny snaps. "There's no way the robot didn't hear that gunfire."

"What do you want?" Tom yells.

"Well... you... and your guns." The second man says. Valentine freezes as she hears the mech's stomping.

"Listen. You hear that? Now, you start firing, robot comes in, whereas you don't do what we say, we will start picking you off without so much as a whisper. So you have a choice. Put down your guns and come with us."

"Why don't you shine a light on yourself, let me see who I'm talking to?" Tom asks.

"Why don't I shine a light on these two instead?" A boy around Valentine's age come out with a knife at the throat of Karen's neck, while another has a gun on Hal. "Put down your guns now, or my boy will skewered this hear girl." The man says as she shines a light on his face. "Right Sage?" The man asks, the boy tightening his grip on the girl, causing Karen to close her eyes. Tom and the group look at each other before dropping their weapons.

"Whitey, Cueball, get Billy. Let's go. Sage, let him take the girl. You grab one of them." The man says, causing the boy to hand Karen off before he follows the others to grab the members. He grabs Valentine, but she clicks her boots, about to swing, but he grabs her leg and twists, causing her to fall onto her back.

"Try that again, I slit your throat." The boy hisses as he motions to her shoes. "Take them off." Valentine glares at him, causing him to slip his knife to her throat. "Take. Them. Off."

"Vale, just do it. Take off all your weapons." Tom says, causing her to glare at the boy before untying her shoes and kicking them off. She unstraps her belt, letting it fall along with her pistol and knife.

"Anything else?"

"No."

"Good." He grabs her arm, pulling her up, and begins walking her towards the direction the others went. "Let's move." The boy says quietly as gunshots come from above by the mech.

The boy moves Valentine quickly through to the back as the mech gets in.

They walk down the hall as Billy, the injured man, screams. "Just take it easy, will you." The lead says. "We're taking the access tunnels to home base."

"Ah! Watch my leg."

"Shut up, already, Uncle Billy." Sage, the boy, snaps as he leads Valentine passed him.

"You keep talking to me like that boy-

"Billy, Sage, behave. You're acting like a couple of kids." The leader snaps. "I only I have one son, don't make me think I have two." He leads them up some stairs to what appears to be a boiler room.

"Easy!" Billy snaps as Sage rolls his eyes.

The men and boy forces the captures on to seats after blind folding them to keep them from knowing how they got there. Once they are seated, however, they unmask them. Valentine sees the boy clearly now, the one who had grabbed her. She watches as he throws her boots down beside a stage and he sits on the stage, while the men bring Billy onto it to lie down on. Sage is a boy around seventeen with blonde hair and bright blue eyes. He's dressed in green cargo pants, a pair of combat boots, a gray long sleeved shirt that has three buttons near the top, the first two buttons left undone, and he has a leather jacket on over it.

"Urg! Get it off! Come on, man, get it off! Come on!" Billy says, causing Sage to look back at his uncle with a look of annoyance.

"Can't you give him something to shut him up? Like a rock to the head."

"Shut it boy. I can still shoot you." Billy growls.

Valentine looks around to find that they're in some kind of auditorium and on the stage is a dead skitter on some kind of podium.

"Are you gonna dose me up?" Billy asks. "Come on, buddy." Sage rolls his eyes. His eyes meeting Valentine.

"Here it comes, Billy." Cueball says.

"Come on, come on, come on, come on." The leader ruffles Sage's hair before hopping onto the stage with the others.

"Here it comes." Cueball smiles as Billy groans. "You ready?"

"Yeah, yeah." Billy says as Cueball jabs the needle into his neck.

"You got that? Attaboy."

"How's he look, Whitey?" The leader asks as he glances over at his brother.

"He's bleeding hard in the leg."

"Probably nicked an artery. Sage, get up here and see what you can do." The man says.

"Severed it, he'd have bled out already." Whitey says as Sage takes his father's hand and allows his father to pull him up.

"Use your belt. Bind it tight." Sage's father says as Sage walks over to his uncle. He presses down on the wound, causing Billy to growl.

"Keep that up kid and I'll burn those fucken hands."

"Sage." His father warns.

"Opps." Sage says in a tone that tells he's not sorry as He rips back the jeans some to get to the wound. "Give me your belt, Cueball." Cueball takes his off and hands it to Sage, who wraps it around his uncle's leg, a bit tighter than necessary.

"Kid, when I get better I'm killing you." Billy growls.

"Billy." Sage's father warns. "Nobody touches a hair on this boy except me." Sage's father says as he touches Sage's head to make a point before going and sitting down. "Anybody happens to be a board certified microsurgeon, fix my brother?" But no body answers as he walks down the steps. "Then what good are you?" He mumbles as Sage wraps the wound with a cleanish shirt before joining his father. "So where you from?"

"Cambridge." Tom answers. Sage's father looks at Sage.

"Cambridge. And how are things in Cambridge these days?" His father asks.

"Worse than they are here." Tom answers.

"What are you, family?" He asks as he looks down at them. "Well, obviously not all." He adds upon seeing Dai and Click.

"No. Just came together a couple months ago."

"You part of some resistance?"

"No. Just a group of people trying to survive."

"Then where'd you get the weaponry?"

"Dead cops, national guard."

"So, Sagey boy, what do we got?" He asks as he throws an arm around his son. Valentine notices how the boy flinches as his father's arm hits his back. "Papa Smurf," The man smiles as he points, obviously not noticing his son's flinching. "Sexy freedom fighter girl, strapping young man, sexy tough girl," This one he points at Valentine. "Black... Looks like a gandbanger, and a... oriental of some sort." Sage rolls his eyes as his father says that. The guys on the stage chuckle as the man looks at his son. "What you think Sage?" Sage moves away from his arm. "Where you going? Sage?"

"I'll be back." Sage mumbles, causing his father to shake his head.

"He's sensitive. Gets that from the bitch that is his mother." The man says. "Doesn't like racial terms and shit like that." The man shakes his head. "Told him plenty of times he needs to toughen up or he'll be too much of a pussy like his mother." The guys laugh on stage as the man points to Valentine, Hal, and Karen. "We'll take the two girls and the boy." He says before looking at Anthony. "The black?"

"Hell no." They say together.

"What about the Chinaman?"

"Asians are good at fixing things." One of the men says.

"That's true." The man says. "We're not gonna let you drive." The guys laugh some more as he says this. "Which brings us right back..." He drags his sword as he walks towards Tom. "To Papa Smurf." The man says as he taps Tom on either shoulder with his sword. "See, now, I'm figuring, since you're the only one willing to speak up, that you're their leader. We need another leader, boys?" He asks, but they don't answer. "Nah. I didn't think so." He gets his gun out and aims it at the man's skull.

"W-We can get you more guns." Hal jumps in to say.

"Where?" He asks. "I thought you were all just a bunch of strangers thrown together by fate."

"We're with the Resistance. We're part of the 2nd Massachusetts."

"Hal." Valentine hisses, trying to get him to shut up, but he gives her a look.

"The what?" The man laughs as he puts his gun away. "The 2nd Massachusetts? Well, how revolutionary war. So, what do you got, fife and drums, tri-cornered hats?"

"No. We have guns." The man grabs Hal and throws him to the floor as the other men hold the group from getting up to save him.

"What you have, punk, is a .50 cal mounted to the back of a GTO. You got hundred and eleven fighters and two hundred civilians camped out in the big meadow. I've been watching you... for two days. That's why we were staking out the armory. Figured you'd be looking for guns." The man takes out his knife. "I'm not gonna kill your old man." He puts the knife to his son, causing Valentine and Tom to try to break free. "Now, he is your old man, right? I can't imagine you shouting out like that if he wasn't kin." The man looks at him before lifting his knife. "You know what?" He cuts Hal free, dragging him by his hair to stand up. "We're not gonna kill anybody. Not yet." The man says as he kisses Hal's cheek. "You're all way too valuable. So, here's what we're gonna do. We're gonna make a deal." He crouches down before Tom. "You lot for the .50 cal on the back of that car." Tom shakes his head. "Maggie! Sage!" The man calls. "Darling, please escort young prince charming here back into town." The man says as the two walk out. "So that he can bring the terms of our deal to the supreme allied commander of the 2nd Massachusetts. While you, Sage, get to stay with me and Uncle Billy to deal with this man," He points to Tom. "And... well, why not through the tough girl in too." He says as he waves for the others to be taken else where.


End file.
